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Ambitious ‘Borb’ explores the ‘slapstick vagabond archetype’

Jason Little launched his ambitious webcomic Borbearlier this year, telling the story of a homeless man through a series of four-panel comic strips — an homage to Great Depression-era newspaper strips like Little Orphan Annie and Gasoline Alley. In April, Uncivilized Books will release a 96-page collection of the strips.

Courtesy of Uncivilized Books, ROBOT 6 is pleased to present a preview of Borb. Check out the preview and some additional information from the publisher below.

Borb by Jason Little (Shutterbug Follies, Motel Art Improvement Service) is the story of a severely alcoholic homeless man, a downtrodden urban Candide whose misfortunes pile up at an alarming rate. The narrative is presented as a series of daily newspaper strips as the author pays homage to the depression-era imagery of Harold Gray (Little Orphan Annie) and Frank King (Gasoline Alley) and the long and complex tradition of the comic strip slapstick vagabond archetype. At once hilarious, horrifying, and full of heart, Borb depicts the real horrors specific to present-day urban homelessness. Borb is Jason Little’s most complex and challenging work.

Jason Little is the author of the Bee books: Shutterbug Follies (winner of two Ignatz awards) and Motel Art Improvement Service. His Jack’s Luck Runs Out comic book was the first Xeric winner to be printed in full color. He also teaches in the cartooning program at the School of Visual Arts. Jason lives in Brooklyn with writer Myla Goldberg and their two daughters.